Wednesday, February 25, 2009

DAILY WORD


If you have ever run a marathon, you know how important it is to have people along the sidelines supporting you and encouraging you to finish the race. A runner needs to feel the energy and passion of those enthusiastic fans. The image of a race is often used in the New Testament to describe the Christian life. The author of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that as we run this spiritual race, we are surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses.” Who are these witnesses? They are the great men and women of faith who have gone before us, such as Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, Gideon, and many others. As we run the face set before us, we are encouraged and supported by the faithful witness of those who have trodden this path in ages past.

In response to this great rallying cry of our spiritual forebears, we are called to “throw off every weight and the sin which clings so closely.” Have you ever seen a runner carrying his or her suitcase? Of course not! They leave their baggage at home. In the same way, the author of Hebrews exhorts us to throw off those things that weigh us down spiritually, to throw off the sin that so easily ensnares us. God’s desire is that we will run the spiritual race set before us with endurance and confidence. And so, we look to Jesus, the “author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross!”

1 comment:

  1. I have a difficult time letting this RALLY help me instead of jumping in without him. Kathy

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